I. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides a device for fixedly securing the body and cap of a conventional hard gelatin capsule together in a tamper evident form. The invention also provides a device for filling empty conventional hard gelatin capsules with liquid or paste medicines and hermetically sealing the cap to the body in a tamper evident form.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Many types of medicines are distributed in capsule form. These capsules are conventional in construction and include an elongated tubular cap as well as an elongated and tubular body. The cap fits over the body so that a portion of the cap overlies a portion of the body. The cap and body when joined form a closed chamber therebetween in which a medicine is contained.
These previously known capsules, however, have not proven wholly satisfactory in use. One disadvantage of these previously known capsules is that the cap and body can be easily separated from each other and allow the introduction of contaminants or foreign substances into the capsule chamber. In certain instances, the introduction of contaminants into the capsule chamber has been intentional.
There have been a number of previously known methods, such as ultrasonic welding, adhesives and gelatin bands for sealing the cap and body together. These previously known methods, however, are uneconomical and the use of adhesives is further disadvantageous in that adhesives are difficult to digest.
A still further disadvantage of these previously known capsules is that the capsule is only capable of containing solid, rather than liquid or paste, medicine. If liquid medicine is introduced into the capsule chamber of these previously known capsules, the liquid quickly leaks from the capsule chamber and past the junction of the capsule cap and body.
Soft gelatin capsules, however, have been used to contain liquid or paste medicines. These soft gelatin capsules are disadvantageously expensive to manufacture and utilize a relatively thicker shell which results in slower dissolution. Furthermore, the equipment necessary to fill soft gelatin capsules with liquid is expensive and bulky in construction.